. But you dont need to get in your car to get radical; Spearfish Canyon, with its thousand-foot-high limestone walls, begins just outside downtown and runs south for 20 miles through the Black Hills, offering endless climbing, mountain-biking, and hiking options. Colorado's Rocky Mountains are filled with many quaint mountain towns that welcome summer hikers and winter skiers, but somehow, strolling the streets of this San Juan Mountain spot makes you imagine life in the West more than 100 years ago. When visitors tire of exploring the outdoors, they can peruse the shops, restaurants and bars situated in its downtown area. The conversation about Telluride starts with the ski resort of the same name, which drops 4,000 vertical feet across 2,000 acres just upslope of downtown (a gondola connects the town center with the resorts mountain village). Out of the water and off the peak is the small town to enjoy a drink with newfound friends. Your jumping-off town to the Adirondack Mountains, Lake George awaits on the lake with the same name. Whitefish has the distinction of being both a ski hub (Whitefish Mountain Resorts 3,000 acres are minutes north of downtown) and a national-park gateway(Glacier is 30 miles east). There are more than 400 miles of trails to choose from, many of which start on the edge of town and feature an array of buttes, arches, and caves to explore. One of the last of the grand resorts that were once the summer playgrounds of the wealthiest citizens of New York and Boston at the turn of the 20th century, the Omni-owned Mount Washington hotel is an old-school hideaway. If you're looking for stunning views, look no further than the Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa, which overlooks the Columbia River. The inn also features its own restaurant with three different decks outdoors providing views of the waterfall. Dine in the dining room, the inn's tavern or on the front porch overlooking Chester and feel its charm. Those who visit in summer should consider renting kayaks to explore the lake, as well as dining outside at one of Church Street Marketplace's eateries. For the outdoor enthusiasts, recreational activities abound, including water sports and hiking. You'll find 125 rooms and suites filled with antiques in this charter member of the Historic Hotels of America. Outside of your suite, the resort makes it easy to enjoy the mountains with hiking and biking trails nearby. That's why it gives you Stumphouse Mountain Bike Park. Choose one to four bedrooms with full kitchens, living rooms and ski-in/ski-out capabilities at Crystal Peak Lodge. Foodies will enjoy retiring in Palm Desert with 150+ restaurants offerings cuisine of all types. Plus, visitors can head to the Homer Spit a nearly 5-mile-long area that extends into Kachemak Bay to admire the snowcapped Kenai Mountains, explore tide pools and enjoy fishing charters, kayaking excursions and more. Appalachian Trail, Mount Mitchell, and the French Broad River are just an hour's drive away. Excellent tree runs, bowls, chutes, glades, and gullies. Rooms feature views of the harbor from balconies, as does the inn's restaurant. Nestled into the Wasatch Mountains south of Salt Lake City is the Heber Valley's Midway. Situated within the San Bernardino National Forest, Big Bear Lake provides numerous opportunities for visitors to reconnect with nature. Located about 80 miles southwest of Denver, this scenic ski town feels like its own mountain oasis. The budget-friendly property provides breakfast in the morning and campfires in the evening near cookout grills, so you can get away from it all without really getting away from it all. When travelers aren't zipping down Stowe Mountain Resort's runs, they can go ice skating, try snowshoeing or ride the property's gondola. Like the neighboring towns of Mountain View and Los Altos, Loyola . JOSH LASKIN/THE POINTS GUY. But if you are more into tasty drinks and the food scene, there are many great choices. Travel Natural beauty, because soaring hearts demand scenery to match. A destination resort, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort provides a place to relax under Montana's Big Sky with two giant Olympic-sized swimming pools and two mineral-soaking pools, all heated by the area's hot springs for you to enjoy their medicinal qualities. Travelers will find the small town of Homer, Alaska, on the southern coast of the state's Kenai Peninsula. With its elevation and location within the Lincoln National Forest, Cloudland keeps cool during the heat of summer, making it an ideal getaway for New Mexico residents. But Stowe is equally known for its ski slopes, so don't rule out a winter visit. You can step back into Victorian days with a stay at the Inn on Knowles Hill Bed and Breakfast, which overlooks the town from its hilly perch. Choose to sleep in the two-story farmhouse, a restored log cabin or one of two pine/cedar cabins while you enjoy the quiet of the Central Kentucky hollow. What's more, Sun Valley features hiking trails, scenic golf courses, horseback riding areas, rivers for fly-fishing and lakes for swimming, making it an equally appealing option for a summer vacation. Idyllic in every way, the town allows you to enjoy the Berkshires that surround its quaint center of botanical gardens, art galleries and mansion estates of esteemed residents of the past. The double-black Hiline Trail could be the highlight, full of clifftop views (and clifftop exposure) and a descent thats equal parts flowy and sketchy. Yeah, you know about the antler arches, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, and Corbets Couloir at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Asheville has more breweries than any other city. As for biking, the Whitefish Trail is 43 miles of flowy singletrack, with a trailhead two miles from downtown. Forget the stereotypes of copious rain overwhelming all parts of the Pacific Northwest. This craftsman home built in 1915 is a riverfront, adults-only B&B within walking distance of Downtown Ellijay's shops and dining. This is a place where Wild Bill and Calamity Jane walked the once-dirt streets in the late 1800s dodging horses and bullets. If you're not a hiker, there are other ways to soak in the views. You can stay at the 78-acre Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, just steps from the village town. You can head into North Bend for dining or enjoy one of the two restaurants on site. Naturally, its national park is the main reason why people visit Hot Springs, Arkansas. and a 32-ounce stein of Spaten Lager at the aptly named Bavarian. Sylva, North Carolina. Then theres Whiteface Mountain for downhill turns. Must ride: 18 Road trail system. The Pocono Mountains is home to a town named for the great Native American athlete Jim Thorpe (although he grew up in Oklahoma). A wraparound porch with rocking chairs looks upon the Presidential Range, and multiple restaurants, activities and a spa make the resort a place you may never want to leave. Some small towns are lucky enough to be tucked into the mountains where people can explore on foot, bike and skis all with hardly another person in sight. This outdoor outpost of 179,690 residents has been a rock-climbing mecca for decades, thanks to the towering sandstone bluffs and boulders that define the Cumberland Plateau, to the west. Bigfork, Montana. 1. Found at the base of Tenmile Ridge in the Rocky Mountains, this former Gold Rush town has been preserved by the National Historic District that keeps its Main Street buildings fresh in color. Rafting the Class IIIV Animas River, which cuts through the small city center, can be a multiday excursion on the Upper Animas or a post-work session at the Durango Whitewater Park. Maybe. You'll feel as if you've stepped back in time at this grand hilltop property that still offers a taste of its historic offerings. The Cal Poly Pomona Outdoor Adventures program includes classes and trips, such as hiking to the famed Bridge to Nowhere in the San Gabriel Mountains. Tell us where we went wrong in the comments. Here you'll find two- to four-bedroom cabin-style suites outfitted with living and dining areas with fireplaces, full kitchens and room for the entire family. Summer is best for hikers keen on enjoying the sunshine while exploring popular paths like the Jud Wiebe and the Bridal Veil Trail. However, what makes it unique are the area's natural hot springs. Or worse, we included a place you wish wed never written about. A drive along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway or a visit to Great Smoky. Naturally, such attributes have led to the quintessential problem facing mountain townseveryone wants to move here. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content. With its unique mix of peaceful Adirondack ambiance, gorgeous scenery and adrenaline-rush activities, Lake Placid is certainly a contender for the best mountain town in America. Of course, this bodes well for a winter getaway with nearby skiing, but visit during the fall for Oktoberfests with German beer or in the summer when Washington's vineyard wineries are producing crisp white wines. The Chisos Mountains hit 8,000 feet, rising from the dusty Chihuahuan Desert, and the entire stretch is contained within the one-million-acre Big Bend National Park. There are also countless excursions that originate in Estes Park, including Jeep tours and whitewater rafting outings. Breckenridge provides a number of basecamp accommodations, most of which are condominium-style. Aspen has long been synonymous with luxury. But Bozemans true gem is Hyalite Canyon, a multisport, four-season destination just 15 miles from town, where trails lead from easy-access campsites to mountain meadows in the summer. If you'd rather enjoy an adrenaline rush, take advantage of Hood River's bike trails, paddleboard or windsurf at Waterfront Park, or go for a hike in the surrounding mountains. Downtown is a thriving area filled with local restaurants and shops and features a covered bridge for capturing some Insta shots. This small town surrounding Jackson Creek was originally a mining town that started the Oregon Gold Rush. A former mining town from California's Gold Rush days, Sonora can be found in the Sierra Nevada foothills. America's 50 Best Small Towns in the Mountains By Lissa Poirot, updated on December 13, 2022 Getty Images Small towns and wide-open landscapes are great places to be. We probably left off your favorite town. And did we mention all of the beer gardens? But in the past ten years, mountain biking has taken prominence, with more than 100 miles of singletrack creating a prime network for cyclists, earning Chattanooga a silver-level Ride Center recognition from the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Plus, there are pet-friendly properties, so you can bring your pooch on your hikes. And just look at that porch! The sleepy high-desert town is near Drake Park and has far more award-winning breweries than any other mountain hideaway. The trails provide breathtaking rides and overlooks, complementing the town's paved trails near Serpent Lake. While exploring popular paths like the neighboring towns of Mountain View and Altos. 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